Local beekeepers rebuilding colonies

Continued losses could result in higher crop production costs

Local honey producers are trying to rebuild their colonies after continuing to lose bees at a historic rate this winter.

Nationwide, apiaries are reporting similar stories, though the causes of bee deaths might vary from mites to a colony collapse disorder. Experts are worried that the dwindling number of bees could impact people's food supply because of lack of plant pollination.

Richard Adee, owner of Adee Honey Farms in Roscoe, said he lost 55 percent of his 80,000 colonies from November to April, well above the typical loss average of 13-15 percent. Gerald Wandry of Wandry Apiary in Aberdeen said he lost about 71 percent of his 140 honey bee colonies in the same timespan.

Even with tough losses throughout the state, South Dakota ranked second in the nation for honey production last year with 177 million pounds.

Adee said in his 55 years in the apiary industry, bees never suffered losses like they have in recent years.

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"It hit us really hard in 2008,” Adee said. “We lost 40 percent of our bees. In 2009, it got better, and in 2010, we started thinking, ‘Maybe we’re going to turn the corner.' Then things really got bad in 2011 and have continued."

Producers across the country have lost bees at a similar rate to Adee in recent years. The national loss average in commercial honey bee units was 31.1 percent in 2012, according to a report conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Last year's average was slightly above the 30.5 percent national average over the past six years.

Continued losses might impact the apiary industry's ability to keep up with pollination demands, Adee said. Pollinated foods account for one-third of all foods consumed by Americans, according to the USDA. Adee said many people are not aware how much of their diet is made possible by bee pollination.

"People will say, 'I eat beef. I’ll be fine,' ” Adee said. "Well, what does a cow eat? A cow eats alfalfa, and alfalfa comes from a plant pollinated by bees."

Wandry Apiary rebuilt most of its population to about 150 colonies strong by taking bees from strong colonies and moving them to weaker hives.

Adee is also in the process of rebuilding his colonies through a similar process.

After several years of historic death totals, beekeepers and researchers have yet to determine a single, overriding cause for the losses, said South Dakota state apiarist Robert Reiners. The USDA released a report identifying several likely causes, including multiple strains of pathogenic viruses, poor or lack of nutrition and pesticides.

Wandry attributed most of the losses to his colonies to a Varroa mite infestation, a breed known for killing honey bees.

“They (mites) are about the size of a lead pencil point,” Wandry said. “We didn't treat for them last year."

Reiners said many South Dakota beekeepers did not have access to a special compound designed to eliminate Varroa mites, which he said is effective.

“Over two years ago, we started on a request for a compound that is produced in Europe that has been used in several countries around the world. We had a lot of difficulty getting EPA approval for it and finally got approval for it this year,” he said.

Other producers are concerned about the use of pesticides in pasture ground and pollination fields, Adee said.

While some producers have been able to link their colony deaths to a cause and begin preventive measures, no one in the beekeeping community has determined how to stop colony collapse disorder. Adee said many of his colonies suffered from colony collapse disorder when the company sent about 60,000 bees to California in early spring. The operation contracts out its bees to pollinate almond trees in California on a yearly basis, and Adee sent most of his remaining bees to service the fields. He lost 42 percent of his entire population after just weeks in California.

According to the USDA, the main symptom of colony collapse disorder is that few or no adult honey bees are left in the hive. A live queen remains with the live bees left in the colony, but there are no dead honey bee bodies. Often there is still honey in the hive, and immature bees are present.

Adee said researchers have yet to determine a cause for colony collapse disorder, but, like other recent losses, pesticides, Varroa mites and poor diet are believed to be contributing factors.